Comedian Raju Srivastava breathed his last at the age of 58 at 10.20 am on September 21. His untimely demise comes after 41 days of treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was hospitalised on August 10 after he complained of chest pain and collapsed while working out at a gym in a New Delhi hotel.
His family confirmed the news of his death, and his untimely death has certainly left a huge void in the hearts and minds of the people. So, as we remember the famous actor-comedian, here’s all you need to know about him.
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Comedy and TV career
Raju Srivastava became a household name, in his delightful 'Gajodhar Bhaiyya' persona, as he appeared on the show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’, wherein he emerged as the second runner-up. Next up, he took part in the show's spin-off titled ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge - Champions’, where he was honoured with the title of 'The King of Comedy'. Srivastava also participated in the comedy show ‘Comedy Ka Maha Muqabla’ apart from making several appearances in Kapil Sharma's shows, ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’ and ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’.
In terms of television, he starred in reality shows such as ‘Bigg Boss 3’. Albeit, he was voted out eventually. Not just that, he also took part in the dance reality show, ‘Nach Baliye 6’ with his wife, Shikha Srivastava.
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Bollywood career
The ace comedian was known for his mimicry acts, and thus, following his passion, he ventured into comedy as well. Soon, he started to gain fame as the 'lookalike of Amitabh Bachchan' and bagged several small roles in Bollywood, starting from ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Bombay to Goa’.
He also featured in the 2001 film ‘Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya’, which also starred Juhi Chawla, Govinda, Tabu, and Johny Lever.
Political venture
He entered the field of politics in 2014 after getting a ticket for the Samajwadi Party for the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. However, he later returned the ticket and joined Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2014. He was nominated to be a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he has been an ardent advocate for cleanliness.
He is survived by wife Shikha, and their children Antara and Ayushman.
